Agents have at times sidestepped Cho to chat directly with Jordan, according to league sources. The team has turned over almost its entire scouting and analytics departments in the past year. (Though the Hornets recently hired Mike Born, a well-regarded Cho ally from Portland, to a key scouting position.) The relationship between Cho and Clifford has been cool since the team dismissed Rod Higgins, a Jordan ally with whom Clifford felt he could talk hoops, per sources familiar with the matter. Cho, Clifford, and Polk all downplayed the idea of a rift, and the two wings of the organization worked well together this summer to upgrade the team’s shooting across all positions — a goal they shared.